Several labor law initiatives heat up Colorado’s ballot in November.

The 2008 general election ballot will have a battle between organized labor and business interests competing to get ballot initiatives passed for their side. The battle began when business interests, led by Jonathan Coors, filed a “Right to Work” initiative. Organized labor then filed offsetting initiatives, four of which would be economically devastating to Colorado. These four initiatives, discussed in greater length in later blogs, include; Initiative 74- Criminal Accountability for Business Executives, Initiative 76- Allowable Reasons for Employee Discharge or Suspension, Initiative 92- Employer Responsibility for Health Insurance, and Initiative 93- Additional Remedies for an Unsafe and Unhealthy Workplace. 

Major Colorado leaders representing both sides, including Governor Ritter, Senator Salazar, Denver Chamber of Commerce CEO Joe Blake and MDEDC Executive VP Tom Clark, have unsuccessfully made efforts to get all of the initiatives removed. If voters do not take the time and effort to understand the effects of these initiatives, they will be passed and dramatically stunt our state’s economic growth.